What is the meaning of Peru's national motto?
Firme y feliz por la unión
My literal translation is "Firm and happy for the union" but that seems too literal. What is "la unión" and can "Firme y feliz" be translated in a less literal sense?
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1 Answer
Well, in fact in English would be "Steady and happy for the union" just simple as that. I don't like steady because I would prefer strong instead.
That motto has a historical meaning while Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district known as Viceroyalty. Peruvians got their independency from Spain in 1821 and some years later (1825) Government started to coin that motto on Peruvian currency. Authorities were working to join all the departments of the country to become one and stronger. They wanted to become one also with Bolivia but it didn't happen.
Shamefully it didn't last so much. Government replaced the motto by "Banco Central de reserva del Perú" (Central Reserve Bank of Peru) from the currency and practically lost visibility. That decision made that many Peruvians don't know that motto of their own country.
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1Yes, -- únion -- in that time meant the union of the different departments of the country, even though they belonged to Peru, these departments had different regional cultures and point of view and interests. Government wanted to have only main goal as a country. Oct 15, 2015 at 21:14